CARDS: Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Panini Playbook 2011 Doak, Topps AAF NOW 2019 X3, Topps AAF 2019, Panini Prestige 2015
ACQUIRED: EBay 2019, Paid Signing 2024
FAILURE: TTM 2019, C/o The Birmingham Iron

NOTES:

Going off topic on this one today.

Trent was considered the crown jewel of the Alliance of American Football. League executives had already tossed around the idea that once the league took off and found its foothold that there’d be a place at the table for Trent once he retired to become a brand ambassador of sorts.

Initially his certified autograph was hard to come by, but eventually I was able to get a reasonably priced version of the autograph. His Panini Playbook card was another matter.

At the beginning of COVID, way, way back in 2020 initially there was panic about a nationwide shutdown. Nobody was on EBay, and I was able to snag quite a few really nice autographs of players that were just hanging out there, including this fun little Panini Playbook of Trent.

How patient am I? Way, way back in March of 2024, I committed to a paid signing quickly after I had missed out on the only other previous one I’d seen for Trent. I piled in all my set needs and rareties knowing this was the best way to get him, because he’s a zero signer TTM. Then I waited. The deadline for the signing got moved- then passed. I started to worry.

I contacted the promoter, (who I choose not to identify) and he patiently kept me up to date as to what was going on. Delay after delay. It got to a point where Richardson was saying, “I’ll get it out to you this weekend dawg.” Eventually days turned into weeks, into months… and finally, in December of 2024, the promoter, sensing his good name was being besmirched by Trent’s lack of follow through, hit Richardson with a legal letter.

This jostled Richardson into admitting there were some things going on around his house that was making it difficult for him to get back to get these things signed and into the mail, as he had promised. I quickly quipped to the promoter that I’d be surprised if Trent got the autographs back to him before March 2025.

Then in April of ’25, the promoter offered a full refund on Richardson. He still held out hope that Trent would return the items. In the meantime, all my precious rare Topps AAF Now cards have sat in limbo.

CARD: Upper Deck USFL 2023
ACQUIRED: IP, 2024 Birmingham Stallions v the San Antonio Brahmas.
2025, Epack

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• J’mar Smith played QB at Louisiana Tech from 2016-’19.
• He completed 759 of 1280 passes for 9,523 yards and 51 TDs over his college career.
• In 2019 he’d be named Conference USA’s Offensive Player of the Year.
• Undrafted, he spent camp with the Patriots in 2020, and had a tryout with the Packers.
• Signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in ’21 but was released.
• Joined the USFL in 2022 and led the team to a win the USFL Championship Game in 2022.
• On the season he completed 131 passes for 1573 yards and 10 TDs, while rushing for 191 on 37 carries scoring 2 TDs.
• Placed on IR for the 2023 season.
• Returned to Birmingham for the 2024 campaign, but saw little action.
• Signed a letter alongside other quarterbacks and refused to report to the opening of camp until concessions were made by the league.
• Cut by Birmingham but returned a few scant weeks later.

ACCOLADES:

• USFL Player of the Week 2023 (Week 1)
• Birmingham Stallions Best Hair Award

NOTES:

J’Mar was wandering off the field after their loss to the Brahmas during the 2024 season. He and Marlon Williams ambled up and signed their cards for me. It was a good double hit.

I had been having a lot of success with the Upper Deck UFL set. I pulled this dual autograph from a group of 8 packs I opened. I was pretty satisfied with this hit- although I am unsure if J’mar and Amari have ever been on the field at the same time.

CARD: SAGE 2015
ACQUIRED: 2020, Box Breaker

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Malcolm Brown played RB for Texas from 2011-’14.
• Over his college career he rushed 630 times for 2678 yards and 24 TDs, while catching 51 passes for 382 yards and 3 TDs.
• His best year came as a Junior in 2013, when he rushed 214 times for 904 yards and 9 TDs.
• Signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams in 2015.
• Worked way up depth chart from practice squad.
• Had first career TD in season opener of 2017 season.
• Played sparingly as Todd Gurley’s backup through the 2019 season.
• Finished the 2020 season with a career high 419 yards rushing and 4 TDs.
• Signed with the Dolphins in 2021 but spent a good portion of the season on IR.
• Signed with the Saints in 2022 but didn’t make the squad.
• Returned to the now Los Angeles Rams that year and was on and off the roster through the remainder of the season.

NOTES:

Malcolm Brown made a guest star appearance at one of the AAF San Antonio Commanders games back in 2019. I kicked myself for not having a card of him with me despite not knowing he’d be there.